Premier League 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Van Dijk at Liverpool

There is little doubting the impact that Virgil van Dijk has had upon Liverpool in their push towards the Premier League title. This article will hopefully go some way to uncovering the performance trends throughout the season, as well as shining some light on who could be the Robin to his Batman as his centre-back partner. In order to do so, we will be looking at his aerial performance and passing performance; both areas he has excelled in. The two categories will focus on the following metrics: aerial duels, forward passing, passes to the final third.

But can he defend?

One area that Van Dijk has brought an undeniable improvement to this Liverpool side is his commanding presence at the heart of the defence. A look at his percentage completions in both defensive duels and aerial duels shows him to be one of the most dominant centre-backs in the league and the most dominant at Liverpool.

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